Potato-digger



(No lilodel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. J. CUMMINGS. POTATO BIGGER.

110.415,188. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

'ivrrn TATES PATENT OFFICE.t

(JIARL 2S J. (ITMMINGS, OF PREBLE, NEV. YORK.

POTATO-DIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,188, dated November 19, 1889.

Application filed April 22, 1889. Serial No. 308,169. (No model.)

To (LIZ 107mm. it 71mg/ con/cern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES J. CUMn1NGs,a citizen of the nited States, rcsidingat Preble, in the county of Cortland and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Potato-Diggers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a potato-digger which is provided with plows or scoops which dig into the hill and loosen and elevate the earth and potatoes, and an oscillating or shaking separator which receives the earth and potatoes from thc plows or scoops and agitates the material so as to work the pota- .toes to the top of the layer of material, since the potatoes are lighter than the earth. The material which does not pass through the separator is discharged over the tail thereof, with the potatoes lying on the surface, so that they can be readily7 picked up. A potato-digger of this character is described and shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. $32,644:, granted to me Decemberl, 1885.

The object of my present invention is to facilitate the passage of the material from the scoops or plows to the separator; also, to improve the motion of the separator; also, to joint off and deliver sidewise the earth, weeds, ttc., which are not required to go upon the separator, and to provide devices for straightening` the tops or vines in advance of the scoops.

My invention consists of the improvements which will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the cla-ims.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure l is a longitudinalsectional elevation of a potato-digger provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the flexible teeth by which the vines are straightened. Fig. 4. is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the separator and one of the scoops, illustrating the movement of the separator. Fig. 5 lis a rear elevation of the machine. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the machine. Fig. 7 is a central longitudinal section through the separator.

Like letters of reference refer tolike parts in the several figures.

A A represent the supporting-wheels of the carriage connected by an aXle a, which is journaled in a sleeve a', to which the draftpole B is secured. C C represent the sido bars of the frame, which are hung upon the axle a on opposite sides of the sleeve a and extend rearwardly from the latter. c is a cross-bar which connects the side bars C C in rear of the axle. D is a transverse shaft arranged over the rear portions of the side bars C C and journaled in bearings d d, secured thereto. d d represent cranks formed at the ends of the shaft D, and E E are depending rods attached with their upper ends to the cranks and with their lower ends to a curved cross-head e. F represents a sprocket-wheel secured to the shaft D, and driven by a chain f from a sprocket-wheel F,which is mounted on the axle a and receives its motion there from by a train of gear-wheels arranged in a housing f. G G represent wheels which support the rear en ds of the side bars C C, and are connected therewith by standards g g. H is a handle secured with its front end to the cross-bar c, and over the rear ends of the side bars Cto an elevated cross-bar lz. Allof these parts are constructed substantially as shown and described in my former Letters Patent above referred to.

I I represent two scoops secured to the lower ends of standards 'L' "i, which are atn tached to the side bars C C in front of the shaft D. These scoops are curved upwardly from the middle of the machine to the standards, which fit against the outer and under sides of the scoops. The latter have oblique front edges, which extend from the outer front corner or point of each scoop inwardly and rearwardly to the inner rear corner thereof.

J J represent jointers which rest against the outer sides of the standards and extend from the outer front ends of the scoops rearwardly and outwardly past the standards, so

as to joint off and deliver laterally the earth, 9

dac., which is not required to go upon the scoops. rlhe lower portions of the standards are curved or bent inwardly and downwardly, so as to locate the vertical portions of the standards at a distance from the outer edges of the scoops, whereby earth, stones, vines, &c., are prevented from catching against the standards.

k represents rearwardly-proj ecting tines or teeth secured to the scoops I along their rear edges at convenient distances apart.

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L represents the main tines or bars of the shaking separator, secured with their front ends to the cross-head e of the separator and extending rearwardly therefrom'in a horizontal position, or nearly so.

Z represents the fronttines or arms of the separator, secured to the cross-head e and projecting forwardly therefrom toward the scoops. The front tines Z of the separator project into the spaces between the tines 7a of the scoops, and these two sets of tines, one stationary and the other'movable, bridge the space between the rear edges of the scoops and the cross-head e of the separator and conduct the material from the scoops to the separator.

M M representinclined braces pivoted with their upper ends to the side bars C @and attached with their lower ends to arms m m, which are secured'to the depending` rods E E immediately above the cross-head e, and project rearwardly therefrom. In my former patent the lower ends of the braces are attached directly to the depending rods, which construction produces a much larger vertical movement at the rear end of the separator than at the front end. By connecting the braces to the rods in the rear of the latter the vertical movementis reduced at the rear ends of the main tines and increased at the front ends, so that the movementis more equalized and a saving in poweris effected. The separator has a compound movement, forwardly and backwardly and downwardly and up` wardly, which causes the short front tines Z of the separator to pass forwardly below the plane of the fixed tines @which are attached to the scoops, then upwardly between the fixed tines and rearwardly above the same, as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 4. This movement of the front tines Z of the separator lifts the material as it passes over the iixed tines k and throws it backwardly upon the separator, and at the same time combs out any stones, weeds, or other obstructions which might tend to lodge between these tines, whereby the spaces between the tines are kept open. The material is agitated by the tines immediately upon leaving the scoops, whereby a considerable portion of the earth is loosened and sifted through the tines, thereby reducing the mass of material which passes upon the shaking separator.

N N represent two spring-teeth which are attached to the under side of the draft-pole to straighten the tops or vines. These two teeth are preferably constructed of a single bar of steel, bent so that the .two teeth diverge rearwardly and straddle the hill, their front ends being connected by a transverse neck n. The latter is seated in an eye formed at the rear end of a spring O.

P represents a bifurcated spring which extends over the front portions of the teeth N N and bears with its rear ends upon the latter. The front end of the bifurcated spring P and that of the spring O are secured to the under side of the draft-pole by a bolt p. Each of the teeth N N can yield in passing over an obstruction by reason of its own elasticity, and both teeth can yield by reason of the elasticity of the supporting-spring O, while an excessive upward pressure against the teeth causes a deiiection of the bifurcated bearing-spring P. This arrangement of springs enables the teeth to follow the undulations of the 'hills with a nearly-uniform pressure upon the surface of the ground, preventing the teeth from digging deeply at the elevations and clearing the ground at the depressions and causing the teeth to straighten the tops or vines, so as to be in proper shape when the scoops reach them.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with a scoop having rearwardly-projecting fixed tines, of a shaking separator arranged in rear of said fixed tines and provided with forwardly-projecting tines which stand opposite the spaces between the tines of the scoop, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a scoop having rearwardly-projecting fixed tines, of a shak- .ing separator provided with forwardly-projecting tines which move upwardly through the spaces between the tines of the scoop,- substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the scoops I I, provided with rearwardly projecting fixed tines 7a, of a movable crossehead e, provided with front tines l, projecting into and moving upwardly through the spaces between the tines 7c, and with rearwardly-projecting tines L, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the shaking separator, of the outwardly-rising scoops I I, supporting-standards having their upperportions bent outwardly beyond the outer edges of the scoops,whereby open spaces are formed between the outer edges of the scoops and the standards, and jointers J, arranged on the outer sides of the standards and connected to the scoops in front thereof, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the frame, the shaft D, cranks d', and depending rods E, of the separator and the inclined braces M, attached tothe separator in rear of the depending rods E, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the frame, shaft D, cranks d', and depending rods E, provided with rearwardly-projecting arms m, of the inclined braces M, connected with the arms-m, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with the draft-pole, of the supporting-spring O, the rearwardly-diverging teeth N N, and the bearing-spring P, substantially asA set forth.

Witness my hand this 13th day of April,

CHARLES J. CUMMINGS. Vitnesses:

FRED I-I. Hows, J. O. I-IURLBERT.

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